Contour bed



Aug. 22, 1961 N. A. DRAPER CONTOUR BED 5 Sheets-Sheet 1,

Filed Jan. 12, 1959 INVENTOR. Nwm A. DRAPER ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1961 N. A. DRAPER 2,996,732

CONTOUR BED Filed Jan. 12, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

NEPHI A. DRA'PER J ATTORNEY N. A. DRAPER Aug. 22, 1961 CONTOUR BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 12. 1959 v Q: L

INVENTOR. Nam-n A. DRAPER United States Patent 2,996,732 CONTOUR BED Nephi A. Draper, 1525 W. 153rd St, Gardenia, Calif. Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,355 1 Claim. (Cl. -68) This invention relates generally to household furniture, and more particularly to an improved, adjustable contour bed.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, S.N. 480,802, now abandoned, filed January 10, 1955, and entitled, Contour Bed.

Briefly stated, a contour bed is equipped with a base on which are mounted a plurality of hinged, body support sections forming, respectively, a back rest, seat rest, thigh rest, and often a leg rest. Various kinds of elevating mechanisms are employed for raising and lowering these sections to alter the contour of the bed.

The prime deficiency of prior contour beds has been their complex construction and resultant relatively high cost of manufacture. Moreover, the prior beds were prone to frequent maloperation and breakdown.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved contour bed which avoids the abovenoted and other deficiencies of existing contour beds.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved contour bed having a minimum number of simply arranged components so as to achieve a reduced cost of manufacture and improved reliability of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved contour bed which is so designed as to eliminate the possibility of injury to the user when the body support sections of the bed are being lowered.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a contour bed having an improved elevating mechanism which is immune to jamming, reliable in operation, and requires a minimum of precision and accuracy in its manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a contour bed which is designed for facility and economy of manufacture in various sizes.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Briefly stated, the objects of the invention are achieved by the provision of a contour bed equipped with a base mounting a plurality of hinged, body support sections arranged in the usual way so as to form, respectively, a back rest, seat rest, thigh rest, and a leg rest. Two of these sections, namely, the back rest and thigh rest, are raised and lowered by separate elevating mechanisms mounted on the base.

Each of these mechanisms comprises a rotary screwtype traverse device consisting of a lead screw member and a nut member threaded on the lead screw. One of these members is journalled in a bearing which is hingably supported on the base and is driven from a reversible motor on the base. The other member which forms the traversing member of the elevating mechanism is connected to the adjacent body support section in such a way that the latter is raised when said other member moves in one direction and lowered when said other member moves in the opposite direction.

One of the primary features of the invention resides in the unique connection between the traversing member and its respective body support section. This connection is so designed that the body support section is forceably raised but is lowered under its own Weight. Jamming of the elevating mechanisms as well as the possibility of injury to the user of the bed by squeezing of a portion of his body between a section and base are thereby effectively minimized. The illustrative forms of the elevating mechanism use a flexible belt for driving the traversing device from a motor which is rigidly mounted on the base. The flexibility afforded by this belt permits rocking of the traversing device as its respective body support section is raised and lowered while the drive motor remains in a fixed position on the base. This is desirable since it avoids the necessity of employing a relatively massive hingable support for the motor.

The invention will be best understood from the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the present contour bed with parts cut away and shown in phantom lines for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a large view, partially in section, of one of the screw-type traversing devices for elevating the body support sections of the present bed, with the parts of the device viewed substantially as indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, in reduced scale, of the present contour bed with a preferred form of spring shown in position on the hinged support sections;

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of the present contour bed with parts broken away and sectioned for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 10 is a section taken along line 1tl10- of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the traversing devices embodied in the modified bed of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a section taken along line 1212 of FIG. 11.

Referring now to these drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 8 thereof, the illustrated contour bed will be seen to comprise a supporting base 10, preferably in the form of a generally rectangular box frame. This base has a bottom wall 10 adapted to rest on the floor. Base 10 includes a pair of parallel side walls 11 and 12 and a pair of parallel end walls 13 and 14. End wall 14 is notched through its upper edge at 15 for reasons to be presently seen.

Side walls 1'1 and 12 intermediate their ends have stepped or raised portions 16 and 17. Extending transversely of base 10 and fixed at opposite ends to these raised portions are a pair of parallel braces 18 and 1.9. These braces have flat upper surfaces disposed in the plane of the upper edge surfaces of raised pontions 16 and 17.

Resting on the flat upper surfaces of the braces and the upper edge surfaces of the raised portions is a rectangular seat support section 20. Section 20 is fixed to the raised portions 16 and 17 of the base in any suitable manner, and has a length which is somewhat greater than the width of the base, so that the ends of the seat support section 20' extend beyond the side walls 11 and 12 of the base, as shown.

Hinged to one edge of section 20, as by hinge means 21, is a rectangular back support section 22. Hinged to the opposite edge of seat support section 29, as by hinge means 23, is a rectangular thigh support section 24. Finally hinged to the thigh support section by hinge means 25, is a leg support section 26.

The hinged sections 22, 24 and 26 have the same dimension, crosswise of the base, as the seat support section 20, so that their ends extend beyond the side walls [11 and 12 of the base and terminate flush with the ends of the seat support section 20-. Also, the overall dimension of the several body support sections, measured lengthwise of the base, is somewhat greater than the length of the latter so that in the lowered position of the hinged sections, the latter extend beyond the base end walls, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 8. Raising and lowering of the back, thigh and leg supporting sections 22, 24 and 26 is accomplished by means of the two motor driven elevating mechanisms illustrated in FIG. 1. These mechanisms include identical jack screw or rotary screwtype traverse devices 27 and 27. In view of the similarity of the traverse devices, only one, namely, device 27, illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 7 will be described in detail.

Traverse device 27 comprises a generally inverted U-shaped bracket or support 28. The lower ends of the legs of this bracket are outwardly flanged and bored to receive screws 29 for rigidly attaching, the bracket 23 to the bottom wall 10' of base 10 in a position below the back support section 22 and adjacent the base side wall 11. Threaded in a pair of tapped, coaxial holes in the vertical arms of bracket 28 are a pair of bolts 30 which have their inner ends threaded in a ring 31. The axis of bolts 30 is approximately parallel to the hinge axis of section 22 and normal to the axis of ring 31. The threaded engagement between the bolts 30 and ring 3 1 permits limited pivoting of the latter on the axis of bolts 30. The bolts are prevented from turning during pivoting of the ring 31 by lock nuts 32 threaded on the bolts at opposite sides of the vertical bracket arms, as shown.

Iournalled in a pair of diametrically opposed bores in the ring 31, on an axis perpendicular to the axes of bolts 30 and the ring 31, are a pair of screws 33, the inner ends of which are threaded in a sleeve bearing 34. Bearing 34 is, therefore, in effect, gimbal mounted on the bracket 28.

Rotatably supported in bearing 34 is a reduced journal 35 on one end of a lead screw 36. The other end of the lead screw is threaded at 37.

Journal 35 extends beyond the left end bearing 34 as the traverse device is viewed in FIG. 4, and has rotatably mounted thereon a pulley 38. Pulley 38 is drivably con nected to the lead screw 36 by a friction clutch generally indicated at 39. Clutch 39, which may be of any conventional type, illustratively comprises, as illustrated, a pair of friction plates located at opposite sides of the pulley and keyed to the lead screw. One of the plates is biased by the illustrated spring against the adjacent side of the pulley to frictionally couple the latter to the lead screw.

The elevating mechanism embodying the traverse device 27 includes a reversible electric motor having rigid on its shaft a pulley 40a. Around the pulley 49a and the pulley 38 is trained a flexible drive belt 41. Pulley 38 is thus driven by the motor 40 through the belt 41. As will presently be seen, back support section 22 is raised in response to driving of motor 40 in one direction and lowered in response to driving of the motor in the opposite direction. During this raising and lowering of the section, lead screw 36 has an axial thrust exerted thereon which acts to the right, as the traverse device is viewed in FIG. 4. For this reason, a thrust bearing 42 is interposed between the sleeve bearing 34 and the right- 'hand friction plate of the friction clutch 39.

Threaded on the right end of lead screw 36 is a sleeve nut 43 which comprises the traversing member of the traversing device 27. Encircling nut 43 is a second ring 44. This ring is pivoted on the nut 43 on an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of bearing 34 in ring 31 by screws 45 journalled in the ring 44 and threaded in the nut 43, as shown.

Ring 44 is pivotally supported on a pair of coaxial bolts 46 which are threaded in diametrically opposite sides of the ring 44 on an axis normal to the axis of nut 43 and screws 45. These bolts are threaded in tapped holes in one end of a pair of links 47. From this description, it will be seen that nut 43 is gimbal mounted 4 on the links 47 in much the same manner as bearing 34 is gimbal mounted on its bracket 28.

The other ends of links 47 are pivoted by bolts 48 on a pair of spaced parallel arms 49 for swinging of the links on the arms about an axis parallel to the hinge axis of section 22 and the axis of bolts 46. Arms 49 are located in planes normal to the hinge axis of section 22, and have their upper ends welded or otherwise rigidly attached to a tubular frame member 50 which is secured in the manner described below to the underside of section 22 adjacent its hinged edge.

The lower ends of arms 49 straddle ring 44 and have their right-hand edges, as viewed in FIG. 7, resting on bolts 46 between ring 44 and links 47. From this description, it will be apparent that the lower ends of arms 49 form stops or abutments which limit clockwise swinging of the links 47, as the traverse device is viewed in FIG. 4, relative to the back support section 22.

Frame member 50 is attached to the underside of section 22 by a pair of bracket arms 51 which are welded at one end to opposite ends of the frame member 50. These arms seat against the underside of section 22 and are secured to the latter by the illustrated mounting screws which pass through apertures in flanges 52 on the arms.

From the description thus far of the present contour bed, it will be apparent that rotation of lead screw 36 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, produces left-hand movement of the traverse nut 43 along the lead screw 36, as the traverse device is viewed in FIG. 4. This left-hand travel of the nut urges the bolts 46 against the right-hand trailing edges of the stop arms 49 to raise the back support section 22. During reversed operation of motor 40, the traverse nut 43 travels to the right along lead screw 36. This right-hand travel of the nut, of course, tends to swing the links 47 in a counterclockwise direction on the arms 49, and the bolts 46 out of engagement with the arms, so that the traverse device does not exert any appreciable counterclockwise torque or force on the section 22 tending to lower the latter. Lowering of the section, therefore, occurs substantially only under the action of gravity. Upon downward hinging of the back rest section being terminated by engagement of the bracket arms 51 with the upper edge of the base end wall 13 when the back rest section 22 reaches its lowermost, phantom line position of FIG. 8, any further right-hand travel of the traverse nut 43 merely swings the links 47 in a counterclockwise direction on the arms 49 and the bolts 46 out of engagement with the arms so that jamming of the traverse device is prevented. Lead screw 36 has stop pins at opposite ends of its threaded portion, as shown, for limiting right and left-hand travel of the traverse nut 43 on the lead screw. In the event the drive motor 40 is not shut 01f, by actuation of the switch means hereinafter described, before nut 43 reaches the end of its travel on the lead screw, the pulley 38 merely slips on the lead screw journal 35 so that damage to the device is avoided.

The elevating mechanism for the thigh support section 24 is structurally identical to the elevating mechanism just described, but is reversed with respect to the latter mechanism. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the traverse device 27 is located adjacent the base side wall 12 and its drive motor 40' is located adjacent the base side wall 11. Rigid on the shaft of motor 40' is a pulley 40a which drives pulley 38' of traverse device 27' through a flexible drive belt 41' to drive the lead screw 36 of the latter device. The bracket arms 51' which are secured to the underside of the thigh support section 24 and serve the same purpose as the bracket arms 51 previously described, are somewhat shorter than the latter arms, owing to the relatively narrow width of the thigh support section as compared to that of the back rest section 22. It will be clear, therefore, that the thigh support section 24 may be raised by operation of motor 40' in one direction and lowered by operation of the motor in the opposite 5 direction in a manner similar to that described with reference to the back rest section.

Hingably attached at one end to the leg support section 26, by hinges 53, are a pair of tie rods 54. The other ends of these tie rods are hingably attached to the bottom wall of base 10, at a point approximately below the hinged connection between seat suppont section 20 and thigh support section 24, by hinges 55. As may be observed most clearly in FIG. 8, the tie rods 54 act to elevate the leg support section 26 when the thigh support section 24 is raised by operation of its elevating mechanism. The parts are arranged so that the leg support section remains approximately horizontal as it is raised and lowered. In the lowered position of the leg support section 26, tie rods 54 engage in the slots in base end wall 14. In the lowered positions of the hinged body supporting sections, the bracket arms 51 of the back rest section 22 seat on the upper edge of the base end wall 13, the illustrated outturned ends of the bracket arms 51' seat on the upper edges of the base side walls '11 and 12, and the tie rods 54 seat on the bottoms of the end Wall slots 15 to support the sections on the base.

Motors 40 and 40' of the two elevating mechanisms receive electrical power through an electrical cable 56, having a plug 57 for insertion in an outlet receptacle, and a pair of toggle, reversing switches 58 and 59 mounted on the base side wall 11 below the seat support section 29. One of these switches is in circuit with motor 4 0, and the other is in circuit with motor 40.

Each of the toggle switches 58 and 59 has a central off position, and two on positions at opposite sides of the central oil position. In one of the on positions of the switches 58 and 59, their respective motors 4i) and 40' are energized for one direction while in the other of said on positions the respective motors are energized for rotation in the opposite direction.

A pair of switch operators easily accessible to a person occupying a bed are provided for the switches 58 and 59. These operators, parts of which have, for convenience, been omitted from FIG. 1, comprise, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of switch rods 60* and 61 which extend across and through the base side walls 11 and 12. The opposite ends of these rods are bent at right angles, as illustrated, to provide handles by which the rods may be turned.

Rigidly fixed to the switch rods 60 and 61, adjacent the base side wall 11, are a pair of arms 62 and 63. Pivotally connected at one end to these arms are a pair of switch actuating links 64 and 65, having their other ends pivotally connected to clamp devices 66 which are attached to the operating handles of the switches 58 and 59 as shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The switch operators are so arranged that switch 59, which controls motor 40, for example, may be operated between its on and ofi positions by rotation of switch rod 60 in opposite directions. Similarly, switch 58, which controls motor 40', may be operated between its on and oif positions by rotation'ofthe switch rods 61 in oppo site directions. It will be apparent, therefore, that a person occupying the bed may selectively raise or lower the hinged, body support sections by turning the switch rods 60 and 61 in one direction or the other. If desired, yieldable means which may be built directly in the switches 58 and 59 may be provided for biasing the switches and their respective switch rods 601and 61 to the off position.

A bed spring for use with the present contour bed may, as shown in FIG. 8, be in the foim of a plurality of spaced, parallel coil springs 67, the lower ends of which are secured to the several body support sections of the bed and joined at their upper ends by a series of small helical springs 68. This bed spring construction will be observed to be capable of flexing during raising and lowering of the body support sections, so that hinged joints in the spring itself are not necessary.

It will be apparent that the construction of the traverse devices for elevating and lowering the back rest and thigh support sections 22 and 24- is such as to permit manual raising of these sections, as might be necessary, for example, to permit servicing of the mechanisms in the event of malfunctioning thereof. Moreover, as previously mentioned, owing to the fact that the sections are lowered under the force of gravity, rather than by the action of the traverse mechanisms, jamming of the latter due to an obstruction between the base and sections when the latter are lowered, or due to failure to immediately shut 011 the motors 40 or 41' upon the sections reaching their lowermost position, is effectively prevented.

An advantage of the present contour bed construction is the fiact that the drive motors 40 and 40" are supported on the bottom wall 10' of the base 10, tilting motions of the lead screws 36, during raising and lowering of the body support sections, being accommodated for by the belt drives and the gimbal supports for the lead screws. Thus, heavy and elaborate pivotal mountings for the motors are dispensed with. Moreover, the gimbal connections of the traverse devices effectively prevent binding of the latter.

FIGS. 9 through 12 illustrate a modified form of the present contour bed. This modified contour bed is identioal in all respects to the contour bed previously de scribed, except for the modified form of traverse mechanisms and 100' which are used to elevate the back rest and thigh support sections 22 and 24 of the bed. The traverse mechanisms 100 and 1% are identical so that, as before, only one, namely traverse device 100', will be described.

Traverse device 100 comprises a bearing 102 which is pivoted, on an axis parallel to the hinge axis of rack rest section 22 and normal to the axis of the bearing, between a pair of upstanding support arms 104 fixed to the bottom wall 10' of base 10 of the bed. A pulley 106 has, on one side, an axial journal 1118 which is rotatable in the bearing 102 and on its other side an axial hub 110, as shown most clearly in FIG. 11, bearing 102 comprises a thrust bearing which restrains the pulley 106 against axial movement.

Extending through an axial threaded bore in the pulley 106 is a screw-threaded shaft or lead screw 112 which forms the movable, traversing member of the traverse device 100. This lead screw, when restrained against rotation, is moved in one axial direction by rotation of pulley 106 in one direction and in the opposite axial direction by reversed rotation of the pulley.

The right end of lead screw 112, as the latter is viewed in the drawings, has an axial slot 114. Received in the slot and pivoted to the lead screw 112 on an axis perpendicular to the latter is one end of a link 116. The other end of this link is pivoted between a pair of spaced, parallel arms 118 which are rigidly welded to the tubular frame member 50 of the bed in the same manner as arms 49 in the bed of FIGS. 1 through 8. Arms 118 are located in planes perpendicular to the hinge axis of the back rest section 22. It will be observed that the axis of the pivotal connection between the link 116 and the arms 118 is relatively close to and approximately parallel to the hinge axis of the back rest section, as in the previous form of the bed.

Extending between the free ends of the arms 118, to the left of link 116, as the latter is viewed in FIG. 11, is a stop pin or abutment 120 which limits clockwise swinging of the link with respect to the back rest section. It will be seen that when pulley 106 is rotated in a direction to impart left-hand axial travel to the lead screw 112, the link 116 engages the stop pin 12!) to effect raising of the back rest section by the traverse device. However, when pulley 166 is rotated in the opposite direction to impart right-hand axial movement to the lead screw 112, link 116 merely tends to swing out of engagement with the stop pin 120. As in the previous form of the bed, there- 7 fore, the back rest section 22 in the bed of FIGS. 9 through 12 is lowered by the action of gravity rather than by the traverse device.

Pulley 106 is driven from a motor 40 mounted, as before, on the bottom wall 10' of base 10 through a belt drive 41. This belt drive accommodates pivoting of the lead screw on the support arms 104 during raising and lowering of the back rest section, so that heavy and elaborate pivotal mountings for the drive motor are not required. Motor 40 is controlled by a toggle switch 59, actuated by switch rod 60, as in the previous form of the bed. Thus, the back rest section 22 may be selectively raised and lowered by turning the switch rod 60 in one direction or the other. Stop shoulders or collars 122 on opposite ends of the lead screw limit axial travel of the latter through the pulley 106. If desired, these stop collars and the end faces of the pulley 106 may be formed with suitably inclined faces and axial stop shoulders, in the well-known manner, to prevent binding of the lead screw in the pulley in the event one of the stop collars is driven against the end of the pulley.

-It will be observed that the friction clutch in the traverse device of FIGS. 1 through 8 has been omitted in the modified traverse device of FIGS. 9 through 12. Accordingly, if the motor 40 is not shut off before one of the stop collars 122 is driven against an end face of the pulley, the motor will merely stall. If desired, a conventional thermal switch may be used for opening the motor circuit under these conditions. The traverse device 100 for elevating the thigh and leg support sections 24 and 26 of the bed is, as mentioned, identical to the traverse device 100 just described. As in the previous form of the bed, however, the traverse device 100 and its motor 40' are reversed with respect to the traverse device 100 and its motor 40. Motor 40' is controlled by the switch 58 which, in turn, is actuated by the switch rod 61. The remainder of the bed of FIGS. 9 through 12 is identical to that of FIGS. 1 through 8 so that no further description of the modified bed is deemed necessary.

The modified bed of FIGS. 9 through 12 possesses the same advantages as previously discussed with reference to the bed of FIGS. 1 through 8. It will be apparent therefore that there has been described and illustrated two forms of the present contour bed which are capable of attaining the several objects and advantages preliminarily set forth.

While certain preferred forms of the invention have been disclosed, it will be obvious that numerous modifications in design and alrangement of parts of the invention are possible within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A contour bed comprising a box frame including a rectangular bottom wall and vertical side and end walls along the edges of the bottom wall, the top of the frame being open, a stationary body support section resting on and secured to the upper edges of the frame side walls,

said body section extending across the open top of the frame approximately midway between the ends of the frame, movable body support sections hinged to opposite sides of said stationary section for swinging between inclined, elevated positions and horizontal, lowered positions wherein the sections are supported on the upper edges of the frame walls, a pair of motors rigidly mounted on the bottom wall of the frame with their axes extending lengthwise of the frame, one motor being located adjacent one end and one side of the frame and the other motor being located adjacent the other end and one side of the frame, a jack screw means pivotally mounted on the frame laterally across from each motor for swinging in a vertical longitudinal plane of the frame, a pulley on each motor shaft, each jack screw means including a pulley approximately aligned crosswise of the base with the pulley on the adjacent motor, a flexible belt trained about each aligned motor and jack screw pulley, said motors being reversible to drive their respective jack screw means in either direction of rotation, an arm rigid on the underside of each movable body support section hinged to the stationary section and located approximately in the plane of swinging movement of the adjacent jack screw means, and a hinged connection between each adjacent arm and jack screw means whereby said body support sections elevate in response to rotation of their respective jack screw means in one direction and lower in response to rotation of their respective jack screw means in the opposite direction, the flexibility of said belts allowing said jack screw means to swing on their pivotal axes during raising and lowering of the sections while said motors remain statonary on said bottom wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 247,496 Goodwin Sept. 27, 1881 359,879 Miller Mar. 22, 1887 552,436 Healy et a1 Dec. 31, 1895 945,449 Edgcombe Jan. 4, 1910 1,242,545 Hanger Oct. 9, 1917 1,518,210 MacDonald Dec. 9, 1924 1,550,462 Sisbower Aug. 18, 1925 1,658,780 Nixon Feb. 7, 1928 1,941,263 McIntosh Dec. 26, 1933 2,349,701 Buttikofer May 23, 1944 2,605,481 Burkhait Aug. 5, 1952 2,630,720 Gambill Mar. 10, 1953 2,674,745 Burke Apr. 13, 1954 2,699,688 Sutton Jan. 18, 1955 2,747,203 Dawson May 29, 1956 2,783,826 Haltenberger Mar. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 268 Germany Sept. 6, 1877 105,482 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1917 356,381 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1931 393,029 Great Britain June 1, 1933 

